MSN is Microsoft's dial-up internet service, as well as the name of one of their more popular web portals. Anyone can use the MSN website, which collects news and information from around the internet to quickly display for you. The MSN dial-up service is designed as an alternative for AOL or other dial-up users who may not have access to broadband internet. See Step 1 below to learn how to get MSN service, as well as use the MSN web portal.

Steps

Part 1

Getting MSN Dial-Up

Microsoft has discontinued support for MSN Messenger. Your Messenger account will be converted into a Skype account. See this guide for detailed instructions for installing and connecting to Skype.

1

Visit the MSN Dial-up homepage. You can sign up for MSN through your browser by going to get.msn.com. MSN is a dial-up internet service, similar to AOL or NetZero. You will need to have a dial-up modem installed in your computer in order to use MSN, and long-distance fees may apply if there is no local access number available.

You can also order the phone by calling 1-866-205-6768.

2

Download or order the software. You will need to use the MSN dialer software to connect to the MSN service. If you are using a dial-up modem, you won't be able to access the software download, and will need to order a CD.

Broadband internet users can download the MSN software from their MSN Member's Center.

3

Run the installation. After inserting the CD, the installer should begin automatically. If it doesn't, open the Setup.exe file in the CD to begin the installation.

Select "I'm not currently connected to the Internet" and follow the steps in the installation program.

4

Connect to MSN. Once the MSN dialer program has been installed, you can use it to connect to MSN and the internet. First, you'll need to add your local access numbers. Open the MSN software and click Connection Settings.

Click the "New or Add Dial-up Location" option.

Click Next when the wizard opens.

Enter your phone number, including the area code.

Name the connection.

Choose any dialing options, such as dialing a number to reach an outside line.

Wait for the list of local access numbers to load. MSN will dial a toll-free number to retrieve them.

Accept the numbers to finish creating the connection. You will be charged for long-distance by your telephone provider for dialing any long distance access numbers.

5

Start using the internet. Now that you're connected to MSN, you can start using the internet. MSN will accelerate page loading if it is not a secure website. You can use any internet browser with MSN once you are connected.

Part 2

Using the MSN Site

1

Go to MSN.com using your web browser. The MSN homepage gives you dozens of categories of information. You can see the latest news, the current temperatures for your location, and much more.

2

Browse the categories. The categories listed beneath the search bar will change the information that is displayed on your MSN homepage. You can look at world news, entertainment new, car listings, job postings and much more.

3

Use the search bar to find what you need. The search bar at the top of the page uses Bing, Microsoft's search engine, to provide you results for your searches. See this guide for tips on effectively searching the internet.

4

Log in with your MSN account. To get the most out of your MSN page, log in with your MSN/Microsoft account. This will allow you to customize the MSN homepage to your liking, and easily connect with other Microsoft services.

5

Access your email. If you are signed in with your account, you can quickly access your email inbox by clicking the "Outlook.com" link at the top of the page. See this guide for details on how to get the most out of email.

6

Use My MSN to customize your MSN experience. If you are signed in with your Microsoft account, click the My MSN link at the top of the page. You can add tabs for various interests by using the "+Add a tab" button. Each tab can have different news feeds and other tools such as stock quotes and weather.

Click the Customize link in the upper-right corner to change the theme and layout of your MSN page.

Click and drag the headers of the boxes around the page to organize the information however you would like.